Candidate for Council Member for Inclusion and Training, 2-3 Years – 2021 ICIS Leadership Election
Ebony Monson, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher
Antiviral Innate Immunity and Viral Genomics Laboratory
Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology
School of Life Sciences | College of Science, Health and Engineering
La Trobe University | Victoria | Australia
Bio:
Dr Ebony Monson is a postdoctoral researcher in the antiviral innate immunology laboratory (headed by Assoc/Prof. Karla Helbig) at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. Ebony recently completed her PhD in February 2021 in the field of virology with a focus on immune responses to viruses by cells; uncovering novel mechanisms by which our bodies respond to viral infections which she hopes will contribute to new antiviral treatments. During her PhD, she published 8 manuscripts (including a recent publication at Nature Communications), gave 17 conference presentations, and was awarded 9 conference presentation awards, including the Australasian Virology Society Student of the year award. Ebony was also awarded 12 other travel and university prizes, including a Milstein Travel Award to attend the ICIS meeting in Vienna in 2019. She hopes to continue her research in this area with a specific focus on the role of lipids during viral infection.
Statement:
During my PhD and now into my postdoctoral studies I have learned the importance of representation in the equity and diversity space. During my studies, I have been very lucky to have had strong female mentors and have been surrounded by colleagues with diverse backgrounds such as those identifying as LGBTQIA+ as well as colleagues who are culturally and linguistically diverse. I will continue to nurture a diverse community of researchers that is equitable and inclusive in the circles I’m involved in.